If DrakeN2K is anything like me it's not fat people he dislikes, but anyone who fails to see how their own actions can lead to limiting the availability of healtcare to someone who hasn't abused their body.

However I agree this is ridiculous, a much fairer solution is taxing unhealty foods higher to pay for the increased burder on the health systems around the world. Just like fuel is taxed to pay for roads, and you pay for tickets depending on how much you use the train.

Actually, it's not really fairer. If you can, watch the Penn & Teller: bull**** episode on Fast Food (Season 8 I believe). Taxing isn't going to benefit anyone. It is going to hurt those who eat fast food the most, which are usually the people who can't afford to eat nice home cooked meals on a daily basis.

Actually, it's not really fairer. If you can, watch the Penn & Teller: bull**** episode on Fast Food (Season 8 I believe). Taxing isn't going to benefit anyone. It is going to hurt those who eat fast food the most, which are usually the people who can't afford to eat nice home cooked meals on a daily basis.

Thats the problem though the poorest and thus those lowest paying tax are swallowing up expensive healthcare. I don't quite buy it will hurt the poor, it would simply price them out of buying junk food, as home cooked food is cheaper than fast food anywhere in the world already. Making fast food cheap only makes the problem worse.

Thats the problem though the poorest and thus those lowest paying tax are swallowing up expensive healthcare. I don't quite buy it will hurt the poor, it would simply price them out of buying junk food, as home cooked food is cheaper than fast food anywhere in the world already. Making fast food cheap only makes the problem worse.

It's not a "supposed" obesity epidemic - it exists and is readily observable. In the US more than 68% of people are overweight and more than 35% are obese - it is predicted that the percentage of people that are obese will increase to 42% by 2030. Those numbers should be shocking to any civilised society and yet very little is being done about it. In many ways it is very similar to people's reaction to climate change in that people (mostly) recognise that it's a serious problem but oppose any action being taken to address it.

Doing nothing isn't an option. You can tout personal freedoms and blame individuals but when the vast majority of the country is overweight the reality is that something is going wrong on a massive scale. The food available for sale today just isn't healthy. Do I think this move is ideal? Absolutely not. But it's better than doing nothing. The food industry should be heavily regulated and foods with high calorie contents should be heavily taxed or banned. That's what happens with tobacco, so it's far from unprecedented.

If you oppose change and don't offer any solutions then you're part of the problem. Obstructing those trying to address the obesity epidemic isn't helpful.

It's not a "supposed" obesity epidemic - it exists and is readily observable. In the US more than 68% of people are overweight and more than 35% are obese - it is predicted that the percentage of people that are obese will increase to 42% by 2030. Those numbers should be shocking to any civilised society and yet very little is being done about it. In many ways it is very similar to people's reaction to climate change in that people (mostly) recognise that it's a serious problem but oppose any action being taken to address it.

Doing nothing isn't an option. You can tout personal freedoms and blame individuals but when the vast majority of the country is overweight the reality is that something is going wrong on a massive scale. The food available for sale today just isn't healthy. Do I think this move is ideal? Absolutely not. But it's better than doing nothing. The food industry should be heavily regulated and foods with high calorie contents should be heavily taxed or banned. That's what happens with tobacco, so it's far from unprecedented.

If you oppose change and don't offer any solutions then you're part of the problem. Obstructing those trying to address the obesity epidemic isn't helpful.

Id take issue with the claim that " The food available for sale today just isn't healthy" as it reeks of the naturalistic fallacy. You could replace coke with all natural apple juice it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference in terms of caloric count.

The issue is not the food its the massive quantity's its available in combined with a less active lifestyle. So i take issue with " The food available for sale today just isn't healthy" in case we waste time on a non-solution.

Id take issue with the claim that " The food available for sale today just isn't healthy" as it reeks of the naturalistic fallacy. You could replace coke with all natural apple juice it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference in terms of caloric count.